Launch of 'Distillations' anthology

I'm pleased to announce that on Wednesday, November 11th at 7.45pm we shall be launching an anthology to celebrate our 10 year anniversary as a group. Please join us for wine, nibbles and some great poetry. (The Studio, Aberystwyth Arts Centre £7/£5 concession)

Launch of Nigel Humphreys' New Book: The Love Song of Daphnis and Chloe

I'm pleased to announce the launch of Nigel Humphreys' new book, The Love Song of Daphnis and Chloe, based on the erotic romance of the 2nd century AD Greek writer, Longus. At Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Monday, 14th September at 7 pm in the Studio. Wine and nibbles will be available and guest poets Marc Perry and Michael Dante will be reading extracts from their Gothic narrative poems - Frankenstein and Island of the Dolls. 

It should be an interesting and entertaining evening - come and join us!

An Evening with The Highgate Poets

Friday, 12th June at 7.45 pm

Aberystwyth Arts Centre in conjunction with the Word Distillery Poets invite you to an evening with the Highgate Poets.

The Highgate Poets are a group of North London published poets founded in 1977 and currently touring Mid Wales. Their 27th anthology entitled The Space it Might Take is just out. The evening will include an open mic slot for local poets to read with the Highgate Poets. Come half an hour early if you would like a place on the open mic!

Latest News

We were treated to a great night of poetry on March 11th at Aberystwyth Art Centre's Chinwag night with guest poet Chris Kinsey and various 'Open Mic' readers, hosted by the Word Distillery. Chris entertained and inspired us all with a selection of poetry from her three books (Kung Fu Lullabies, Cure for a Crooked Smile and Swarf) as well as some new poems. She commented that it was the best open mic she had been to, with good quality poetry and no doggerel!



                                                              Chris Kinsey

Members of the Word Distillery will be performing a Homage to the Great War Poets on April 15th. at the Arts Centre and later on in the year we'll be reading with The Highgate Poets, date to be decided.

As it's the 10th anniversary of the formation of the group, we decided to produce an anthology of the work of current members which will hopefully be ready in the autumn.

The next Open Mic will be sometime in May - so, plenty going on!

No Yawning Stare - Performance

Wed. 22nd Oct/ Mercher 22 Hydref 7.45 pm Aberystwyth Arts Centre

The Word Distillery - ‘No Yawning Stares’

In conjunction with the exhibition of visual poetry 'A Bird Flew By' (Cafe Gallery) The Word Distillery Poets with guest Dylan Jones present an evening of verse. Hosted by Nigel Humphreys it embraces the themes of wildlife and the countryside. (The title is borrowed from 'Thrushes' by Ted Hughes).

Photos and write-up of the Shelley performance by Mike Smith

If you'd like to read about the Shelley performance by participant Mike Smith, along with photos, click here to access his website: Michael Dante

Homage to Shelley

A reminder that the Homage to Shelley performance is tonight, Wednesday 26th March, at 7.45 pm in the Aberystwyth Arts Centre. You'll hear about Shelley's colourful life and hear some of his best poems concluding with The Mask of Anarchy. Not to be missed!

Round-up of news

It's the last day of the year and I thought I'd just catch up on Word Distillery news before we set sail for 2014.

Of Moment Book Launch

The Aberyswyth launch of Nigel Humphreys' third book Of Moment was an enjoyable event. It was very well attended and Nigel very generously gave the floor to three writers from his arts centre based poetry class who have since been published: Caroline Stockford, Heather Williams and Caroline Oakley. Their readings were excellent and gave variety to the evening.

Heather Williams

Nigel then read poems from the book - including my favourite red kite which begins:

its moment is
the scimitar unsheathed

the instant when the sun
ignites the tyrant's blade

Michael Dembinski's comments on the previous collection The Flavour of Parallel apply just as much to this new book, which celebrates the universe as both scientific and spiritual with "a memorable turn of phrase, a mind restless for a new understanding of our reality through metaphor".

Chinwag

The Chinwag open mic event with guest readers has been successfully taken over from Rhian Edwards, erstwhile poet in residence at the arts centre, by Word Distillery member Mike Smith. The last event on 4th December had David Subacchi and Ken Jones as the guest readers. More Chinwags are scheduled for 2014 on January 15th and March 6th - see the sidebar for details. If you have five minutes of material you would like to share or road-test with an audience then come along and sign up with Mike at 7pm before the event starts.

The Word Distillery on YouTube

Thanks to Sarah Smith (big thanks, Sarah!) who has been videoing Word Distillery performances (as well as working behind the scenes on Chinwag events), you can now watch some of the members performing at the Lantern Lit in Tywyn.

***

All in all it's been a successful year for The Word Distillery with new members, new performances and new venues. In 2014 there will be more Chinwag events throughout the year, a tribute to Shelley on March 26th and more performances (dates yet to be decided) in Aberystwyth and London.

Finally a big thank you to Aberystwyth Arts Centre which has provided support and space for the poetry community. It has become a place of nurturing and encouragement for local poets and I'm happy to say that poetry is thriving in Aberystwyth. We sincerely hope that the cuts to funding in 2014 won't affect that.

Of Moment - book launch

Just a reminder of the launch of Nigel's Humphrey's third book of poetry Of Moment from Arbor Vitae press at the Russkiy Mir bookshop. For details see the sidebar.

If you can, do go along to share in this momentous occasion - have your book signed and taste some Russian sweet cake and wine  (or possibly cider)!

Chinwag Open Mic Event

Chinwag Open Mic Events at Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Wed 9 October & Wed 4 December 7.45 pm

The Word Distillery invites you to Chinwag!

This event will run every 8 weeks at Aberystwyth Art Centre. There will be performances by guest writers as well as an opportunity to take part in the Open Mic hosted by local poet and performer Mike Smith.

If you have five minutes of material, either prose or poetry, that you'd like to share or road-test with an audience then come along. Make sure you arrive early to sign up with Mike at round 7 pm - Chinwag always proves to be a very popular event.  

Are you interested in being a Guest Reader?   We are looking for published writers. This event will give you an opportunity to share your material with an audience and to chat to fellow poets and writers. Please get in touch with Mike if you'd like to take part.

One way or another, we'd love to see you there!

The Word Distillery at The Lantern Lit in Tywyn

Lantern Lit @ Tywyn's Magic Lantern Cinema

Live literature at Tywyn's Magic Lantern Cinema with Lantern Lit: readings of poetry and prose by fabulous writers plus open mic, hosted by Helen Sandler. SEPT: WORD DISTILLERY POETS Sunday 15 September 2013 at 4 for 4.30pm in the cinema bar This lively Aber group of poets have appeared at Llanidloes and Hay festivals and round the UK. They all have their own individual, sometimes quirky styles. Members Tina Warren, Eluned Jones, Hilaire Wood, Marc Perry and Mike Smith will be reading Plus open mic!  Are you a writer who'd like to take part? If you would like to read two or three of your poems, or a page or two of prose (fiction or non-fiction) to our friendly audience in the open mic, please email helensandler@gmail.com in advance. Limited numbers. Max 5 minutes each. Only £4 entry. FREE if you're reading or are buying a ticket to the film at 7pm that evening: Red 2 Croeso i chi ddarllen yn Gymraeg. Coming soon: 17 Nov Guest to be announced Sadly Jay Griffiths, whose name appeared on some posters, can't join us, but we hope she will come another time. Past guests Past guests have included Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch, Damian Walford Davies, Mike Parker, Chris Kinsey, Niall Griffiths, Tiffany Atkinson, Phil Wheeler, VG Lee, Ann Weatherby and Jane Whittle.

The Bright Field

The Bright Field is a poetry festival being held in Llanidloes on Saturday, 29th June. There’ll be a Pied Piper poetry trail for children, a session on Shakespeare with the Willow Globe theatre - you can bring along your favourite sonnets/speeches to share - and one on R. S. Thomas – again, bring along your favourite poems. I’m doing a reading with fellow poets Chris Kinsey and Stevie Krayer. (Click on the poster to enlarge.)

There's an Open Mike session in the evening at the Great Oak cafe. Book your ten minute slot with Marg on 01686 413513 or curlew@fsmail.net by the 21st June.

Hilaire Wood

Nigel Humphreys at Birbeck College, London

Nigel Humphreys is reading at Birkbeck College, University of London, Room B18, Malet Street,London on Monday 3rd June, 3 pm, as part of a 2 day international seminar called Quest of the Heart. It's jointly sponsored with the University of Helsinki and looks to have a lot of interesting talks and presentations. For more information click HERE

Homage to Coleridge

28 May 14:45

HOMAGE TO COLERIDGE 9th May. Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 

Nigel Humphreys writes: The poets presented the poetic life of Samuel Taylor Coleridge to a full house, reading all his great poems and culminating with a complete rendition of Rime of The Ancient Mariner to the backdrop of the Gustave Dore prints of the poem.  

                                     Left to right: Back row Allan, Nigel, Marc, Mike
                                                 Front row Eluned, Hilaire, Heather, Tina

For more photos of the event see HERE

                                                 

Three Word Distillery Poets at the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden

                                                                  Eluned

 Tina, Nigel and Eluned carried the flag of The Word Distillery by
 taking part in the Poetry Moot at the Poetry Cafe, London on April 8th
 organised by David Parry.  It was Eluned's first reading at the Cafe,
 home of The Poetry Society and she will next appear reading
 Coleridge's Nightingale at the Homage to Coleridge event on May 9th.

                                                                  Nigel

                                                                Tina

At the Poetry Cafe

Very very belatedly I'm posting the pictures from our London tour in November :-) The Poetry Place is tucked away in Betterton Street in Covent Garden, for those who don't know it. The offices of the Poetry Society are on the top floor, there's  a gem of a vegetarian cafe on the ground floor and in the splendidly (to me) 60s-type basement is the performance space.

We had a good audience and I think we all enjoyed reading there. Here we are (in no particular order)

 Allan Marsden

Marc Perry

Mike Smith

Nigel Humphreys

Tina Warren

Hilaire Wood

Nigel Humphreys at Russkiy Mir Bookshop

                  Nigel Humphreys at Russkiy Mir bookshop reading from his two published books of poetry and his forthcoming book, Of Moment.

The Word Distillery is off to London for two poetry performances - one at the Poetry Place in Covent Garden (in the basement of the Poetry Cafe, 7 pm - 9.30 pm) and one at the London Welsh Centre in Gray's Inn Road (8.30 pm - 11.30 pm). It will be quite an adventure...

Different Drums

The group, post performance

                                                             

                                                                                     

We performed to a small but appreciative audience at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre last week. The event drew its theme, Different Drums, from the now famous quotation by Henry David Thoreau, the American philosopher:

"If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away." 

As poets we are all very different - each dancing to his or her own music - but without totally losing pace with each other as we all share an idea of what good poetry is and strive to achieve it, each in our own way. 

Mike

                                                                

Marc

                                                       

Tina

                                                                

Nigel

Hilaire

Different Drums: Aberystwyth Arts Centre

The poster for our poetry performance on Thursday 27th September, 7.45 pm.